NATION : Wilder Certified Virginia Winner

From Times Wire Services

Democrat L. Douglas Wilder was certified today as the winner by a whisker--less than half a percentage point--of the closest governor's race in Virginia history.

In official returns released by the State Board of Elections, Wilder received 897,139 votes to 890,285 for Republican J. Marshall Coleman out of nearly 1.8 million ballots cast, for a margin of 6,854 votes, or .38%.

The unofficial returns from the Nov. 7 election had shown Wilder, the grandson of slaves, defeating Coleman by 6,852 votes.

Coleman said he will seek a recount and contest the results of the race.